The applicants herein have contemporaneously filed related applications entitled Impact Absorbing Truck Grille Guard and Truck Grille Guard Mounting Bracket.
This invention relates to bracket and pivot mechanisms adapted for mounting of articles, such as truck grille guards, and for providing for and controlling articulating or pivoting motion of such articles.
Where an article such as a truck grille guard must be securely mounted, where the article must be capable of pivoting between an upwardly articulated position and a downwardly articulated position, where the article must be lockable in the upwardly articulated position, and where downwardly articulating motion of the article must be stopped at a desired angle, several separate structures and mechanisms known for facilitating such functions are commonly provided. Providing separate structures for separately performing such functions results in undue mechanical complexity, a lack of space economy, and a lack of cost economy.
The instant inventive articulation controlling apparatus overcomes said defects and deficiencies by providing a single unitary mechanism capable of performing all of said functions.
The present inventive articulation or pivot controlling apparatus preferably comprises a forwardly opening and vertically elongated clevis having forwardly extending left and right arms. The preferred vertical extension of the clevis allows the clevis to comprise a first lower pivot means and a second upper pivot means, each means preferably spanning between the left and right arms of the clevis. Suitably, though less desirably, the clevis may comprise a series of vertically aligned lower and upper devises which are rigidly interlinked by other structure.
The first lower pivot means preferably comprises a clevis pin or hinge pin extending laterally through laterally opposed eyes extending through the lower ends of the left and right arms of the clevis. Preferably, such clevis pin is adapted for supporting an article such as a truck grille guard. Suitably, though less desirably, the first pivot means may comprise separate left and right axles or pivot pins supported separately by the left and right arms of the clevis.
A second upper pivot means configured similarly with any suitable first pivot means is necessarily operatively connected to the upper ends of the left and right arms of the clevis. Preferably, the second pivot means comprises a clevis pin or hinge pin extending laterally between the left and right arms of the clevis, and extending through a hinge sleeve, forming a pin, eye, and clevis joint.
A guy, preferably comprising upper and lower guys attached in series, is operatively connected to the second pivot means for pivoting and articulating motion with respect to the clevis. Preferably, the upper guy comprises a flat plate fitted for, upon pivoting retracting toward the clevis, nesting receipt within the clevis. The upper end of the flat plate is preferably welded to the preferred hinge sleeve of the second pivot means.
Third pivot means operatively connected to lower end of the upper guy are necessarily provided, said means preferably comprising an interlocking pin and sleeve joint. Preferably, the lower guy comprises a xe2x80x9cCxe2x80x9d channel beam and is similarly fitted for nesting receipt within the clevis. An upper end of the lower guy is necessarily operatively connected to the third pivot means for pivoting motion of the lower guy with respect to the upper guy. Preferably, the third pivot means accommodates flexion of the upper and lower guys to approximately zero degrees with respect to each other, and alternately facilitates extension to 180 degrees with respect to each other.
A fourth pivot means is necessarily operatively connected to the lower end of the upper guy, said means preferably being adapted for supporting the same article supported by the first pivot means.
Preferably, means for selectively and alternately resisting and permitting extension of the upper and lower guys is provided, said means preferably alternately resisting and permitting movement of the guys between their zero degree upwardly articulated article position and their 180 degree downwardly articulated article position, the resistance provided by such means effectively locking the mechanism in its up position. Preferably, such means comprises a bolt receiving aperture extending through the lower guy and a spirally threaded nut or lug extending forwardly from the base of the clevis. Upon retraction or flexion of the upper and lower guys, said aperture aligns with said spirally threaded lug or nut, allowing a spirally threaded bolt or a separate spirally threaded nut to fixedly position the upper and lower guys in their zero degree upwardly articulated article position.
Suitably, though less desirably, the means for selectively and alternately resisting and permitting extension of the upper and lower guys may comprise laterally opposed sheer pin receiving eyes extending through the upper ends of the left and right arms of the clevis in combination with a removable sheer pin extending through said eyes, such sheer pin capturing the upper and lower guys while they occupy their fully flexed position and nest within the clevis.
Preferably, the base of the clevis extends leftwardly and rightwardly from rearward ends of the left and right arms of the clevis, such base extensions forming a mounting plate for fixed attachment of the apparatus to structures such as a truck bumper.
The instant inventive articulation controlling apparatus may be utilized multiply in combination with other renditions of the apparatus for supporting and providing stability to large structures to be articulated.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for secure mounting support of articles such as truck grille guards, said apparatus being capable of facilitating articulating or pivoting motion of such article, such apparatus being further capable of locking such article in an upwardly articulated position, and such apparatus being further capable of stopping downwardly articulating or pivoting motion of such article.